King Hussein Hardly U.s. Ally

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

February 18, 1999

Your recent article about King Hussein of Jordan and his heir was inaccurate concerning his being "a close ally of the West," and lacking in analysis of the country's future. He was no ally during Desert Storm when he was a staunch supporter of Saddam Hussein. He also sent Iraq war supplies, ignoring the boycott by the U.N. There was also no mention of the future with more than 60 percent of Jordan's population being Palestinian.

King Hussein was an untrustworthy chameleon whose successor may not be as adept at keeping Jordan out of the hands of predatory neighbors.